Belgrade Observatory

Belgrade Observatory

Pavilion of Large Refractor
Code	057
Location	Zvezdara, Belgrade, Serbia
Coordinates	44°48′13″N 20°30′48″E / 44.80361°N 20.51333°E / 44.80361; 20.51333
Altitude	253 m
Established	1887
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Belgrade Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in the eastern part of Belgrade, Serbia, in natural environment of Zvezdara forest.

In 1879, Milan Nedelkovic (1857 - 1950) received a scholarship to continue his education in Paris at the Sorbonne. He studied mathematics and at the College de France extraordinary studying physics. In Paris Observatory was formed the first School of Astronomy, which Nedeljkovic successfully completed. During the study he also finished courses in meteorology, precision mechanics and seismology. After five years of study in Paris, he returned in 1884 in Belgrade where he became a professor of astronomy and meteorology at the Grand School (University of Belgrade). At the same time launching a campaign for the establishment of observatory at Grand School, but was rejected because of financial circumstances. Finally, after three long years, the decree of the founding of the Observatory was signed on 26 March 1887 by the Minister of Education and Church Affaires of Kingdom of Serbia Milan Kujundzic on the initiative of professor Nedeljkovic.

Nedeljkovic was appointed first director of the newly founded Observatory. On 1 July 1887 Nedeljkovic started his activity at the provisory astronomical and meteorological observatory in the rented house. Adopting the justified request of Prof. Nedeljkovic, a new Minister of Education, Dr Vladan Djordjevic passed on September 27, 1888 the Regulation on the establishment of unified network of meteorological stations in the whole country. Then Observatory become Central meteorological station for data collection. In the rented house Observatory was operating until 1 May 1891, when it was moved into its own building constructed. It was constructed according to the design of architect Dimitrije T. Leko and equipped with the modern small instruments for astronomical and meteorological observations. Also, then are made in funcion two small astronomical pavilion. The Observatory was a "workshop" for practical training for the students of the Grand School and People’s Observatory (on an artificial hill were located Bardu field glasses) where the most frequent guests were students, citizens and prominent persons - for example, in 1910, Halley's comet was observed. Apart from its importance for astronomy and meteorology, the newly built Observatory, headed by Nedeljkovic, was a cradle of the seismic and geomagnetic researches in Serbia. Thanks to Nedelkovic′s colleague and friend Miklós Konkoly, the founder of modern Hungarian astronomy and meteorology, the observatory was equipped with an seismograph. Meanwhile, for a short time, from July 1899 to October 1900, as second person on the head of Observatory was Đorđe Stanojević (1858 - 1921).